1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing method for a dot-impact type printer, a printing device using the printing method, and a time recorder using the printing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a time recorder 101 as shown in FIG. 10 is known. The time recorder 101 prints date and time of arrival and departure of the employees on predetermined time cards 103, and manages attending time and leaving time of the employees.
The conventional time recorder 101 employs a dot impact type printer as a device for printing the attending time and leaving time on the time card 103. The dot impact type printer instantaneously presses an ink ribbon disposed close to a sheet of paper as a printing medium with a plurality of minute printing pins to press the ink ribbon against the sheet, whereby ink is transferred onto the sheet.
The printing pins are arrayed on a printer head in a predetermined pattern. Those printing pins are independently driven in the forward direction under electrical control. Accordingly, when a large number of printing pins are simultaneously driven, much electric power simultaneously consumed is required proportional to the number of printing pins to be driven. To enable the supply of the electric power, it is required to use electric power source including the capacitor of large capacitance.
In the conventional printing system, the printing pins to be driven for each step movement (minute distance movement) of the printer head are simultaneously driven. For this reason, a power source using capacitor of large capacitance and electric parts capable of handling the supplying current, and others are required in order to supply an amount of electric power high enough to simultaneously drive the printing pins.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing method and a printing device which each reduces an amount of electric power simultaneously consumed, allow the use of cheap electric parts for the power source and other electric circuits, and ameliorate the print quality without reducing the printing speed, by using a pin drive system in which the printing pins are divided into a plurality of groups of printing pins, and those pin groups are driven at different timings, in place of a conventional pin drive system in which all the printing pins are simultaneously driven. An object of the present invention is also to provide a time recorder using the printing device.
In order to solve the above problem, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a printing method for a dot impact type printer including a printer head with a plurality of printing pins arrayed, a moving mechanism for the printer head, and a control unit for controlling printing operation of the printing pins and the moving mechanism for the printer head, wherein, when characters, symbols or the like are printed according to predetermined print data, the printing pins to be driven for each step movement of the printer head are driven plural times for each step.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a printing device including a dot impact type printer having a printer head with a plurality of printing pins arrayed, a moving mechanism for the printer head, and a control unit for controlling printing operation of the printing pins and the moving mechanism for the printer head, wherein, when characters, symbols or the like are printed according to predetermined print data, the printing pins to be driven for each step movement of the printer head are driven plural times for each step.
Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a time recorder includes the printing device according to the second aspect.
Moreover, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in a printing method of the first aspect, the moving mechanism for the printer head is substituted by a moving mechanism for moving a printing medium.
Therefore, when characters, symbols or the like are printed according to predetermined print data, the printing pins to be driven for each step movement of the printing medium are driven plural times for each step.
Further, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in a printing device of the second aspect, the moving mechanism of the printer head is substituted by a moving mechanism for moving a printing medium
Therefore, when characters, symbols or the like are printed according to predetermined print data, the printing pins to be driven for each step movement of the printing medium are driven plural times for each step.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a time recorder includes the printing device according to the fifth aspect.